Uttar Pradesh Water Resources Minister Swatantra Dev Singh on Monday issued a stern warning to companies executing Jal Jeevan Mission projects in the Bundelkhand and Vindhya regions, stating that FIRs will be registered and contracts terminated if 100 per cent clean drinking water supply to households is not ensured within the next 30 days.
Chairing a review meeting at the Jal Nigam (Rural) office in Lucknow, the minister gave a final ultimatum to agencies found to be lax in project implementation.
Expressing strong displeasure over the slow pace of work by BGCC and L&T in Bundelkhand and Vindhya, Singh said strict legal action would be initiated against company management if deadlines are missed. “The government will not hesitate to send those responsible to jail,” he warned.
Addressing the media, the minister said that most projects in the two regions are nearly complete, with only four to five schemes still pending. Water supply is currently affected in about three per cent of villages due to damaged pipelines or technical issues, and officials have been directed to resolve these problems immediately.
During the meeting, Singh instructed executive engineers and district-level officers to maintain continuous coordination with public representatives and keep them fully informed about project progress. He also warned of action against officers who fail to communicate effectively and directed them to visit villages regularly to ensure swift resolution of local issues.
The minister announced that a “Jal Utsav” (Water Festival) will be organised between March 8 and March 22 in villages where 100 per cent household water supply has commenced. Following these directions, the State Water Supply and Sanitation Mission has begun preparations to hold the Jal Utsav in around 22,000 villages across the state.
Singh also launched the “Jal Sarathi App” to enable quick resolution of water supply-related complaints. The app will allow villagers to access real-time information on water supply status, project expenditure, construction progress, contact details of concerned officials and grievance redressal mechanisms. The application will be available on both Android and Apple platforms.
Additionally, the minister reviewed the status of road repairs damaged during pipeline laying. Officials informed him that of the total 9,772 kilometres of roads affected, 9,435 kilometres have already been repaired, with the remaining work scheduled for completion by the end of March.